The Winds of Fate
by Cognoscente
Summary: SessKag:Kagome is a chambermaid at the largest hotel in Japan. Sesshoumaru is a wealthy technology company owner. What happenes when fate throws them together, and forces them to depend upon one another if they want to survive? (full summery inside)
1. Prologue

**The Winds of Fate**  
By: Kagura-hime 

_Summery_: Kagome Higurashi is a chambermaid at the most prestigious hotel/casino in all of Japan. Sesshoumaru Takara is a wealthy businessman owning one of the largest technology companies in the world. What happens when fate unexpectedly throws them into each other's arms, and they are forced to depend upon one another if they want to survive? S/K

_Disclaimer_: uhh...what was I supposed to put here again:checks cards: Oh yes. I own nothing except this plot, for my sanity has vanished beyond even my reach. Though why I want it back I have no idea...:grins:

Uh, yeah, finally got around to revamping this story too. So read the updated chappy.

_Recommended fics_: ForgetMeNot by _Youkai Yume, _Blind Stitch in My Heart by _profiler120,_ and Love is a Gamble by _Samarah-chan. _They're all really good fics that I simply _adore_. Remember to r&r!

**The Winds of Fate**  
_Prologue_

It was a crisp fall day in Tokyo, Japan. Leaves where crunching merrily underfoot of bustling pedestrians. Low hanging branches bursting with every color of the rainbow gave lovers the feeling that they were in a world created just for them. Shy teenagers were looking at each other discreetly from across the park, flushing immensely when they caught each other's gaze. Many people took advantage of the fine weather after having so many sunless days of rain and clouds. But one person did not join in with the crowds' enthusiastic nature.

This person-this _girl_- kept her head down, and her hands jammed in her pockets. She was wearing a long, form-fitting white dress with slits up to mid-thigh, on the bottom of which turquoise dragonflies danced a never-ending waltz together with each step. A lightweight denim jacket resting on her shoulders almost matched the electric blue highlights in her raven wing hair. A small black purse was slung carelessly over her shoulder, almost daring thieves to try and take it. This girl had such an aura of sadness and loneliness around her that people actually made a point of avoiding her, and looked at her with pity in their eyes. You could tell just by looking at her, that this woman-child had the weight of the world on her shoulders-a burden she would carry until someone came along who was strong enough to relieve her of it.

The girl made a sharp turn down a side alley not yet bathed in the suns golden light. Yet, she navigated perfectly, like she'd been doing this her whole life, without batting the proverbial eye. She followed the twists and turns until she reached the back of one of the largest and busiest buildings in all of Japan-the Shingetsu. With nary a thought, she pushed open the staff entrance and ended up in a kitchen. She smiled sadly at all those who greeted her, happily preparing food and causing a mouthwatering aroma. She walked through the kitchen until she came to a door which held the closets and service elevators.

She picked her uniform out of the closet and changed quickly in the bathroom. After coming out in black slacks and a white button-down shirt she picked up a plain white apron out and tied it around her tiny waist and slender neck. Then she grabbed a cleaning cart, and headed out to the elevators to start her day.

* * *

The elevators 'ping'ed importantly, and annoyingly, and out walked the young girl of about 21. As soon as she was beyond its snapping metal jaws, the elevator 'ping'ed again and rattled off to transport someone else to their desired floor.

Meanwhile, our black haired friend was taking out a big set of keys she had put in her apron pocket and the list of floors and the room numbers on each she was assigned to do. They always changed her around so she needed to write down her schedule to remember her current assignments. _'Well, I'd better get started,' _she thought and sighed.

Before she had even walked five steps, the elevator chirped its arrival again, and another girl stood wearing the same trademark apron, and pushing the same cart the previous rider had, as elevator music spilled out from the open doors. This girl had long, jet black hair tied up in a high ponytail that went well beyond her waist, and the same outfit the other maid had on.

The first girl spun around and gave the first true smile seen yet. The change was instantaneous. Her stormy gray eyes lightened to a beautiful cerulean blue, and her face looked younger and carefree. Her aura also brightened up, but some of the sadness from earlier remained, though carefully tucked away so as not to be noticed by the older girl.

"Sango-chan! I can't believe I actually beat you here!" the now happy girl giggled.

"That has to be record," the girl now known as Sango teased.

The other girl pouted and turned her back on Sango. Quietly pushing her cart so it would hold the elevator, Sango crept up behind the pouting girl and starting tickling her sides. The girl gasp as Sango made contact, and immediately stared laughing her fool head off.

"gasp S-sango-chan! laugh S-stop! I can't b-breathe!"

The older girl obliged and the still gasping girl shot her an amused glare.

"Gomen Kagome-chan. It was just too good an opportunity to pass up," Sango said, an ear-splitting grin firmly in place.

Kagome shook her head and vowed, "I'll get back at you Sango-chan, I really will."

"Right. And my darling Prince Charming will pop right out of the Disney movie and into my arms." Kagome pouted some more as Sango went to retrieve her cart.

But just as Sango turned her back, Kagome smiled sadly and whispered for only the four winds ears to hear. "If only..."

* * *

Kagome crossed off the last floor on her list after remembering to close and lock the last door on this floor she was responsible for behind her. Now I can go get something to eat!" she spoke excitedly to the empty hallway. She giggled as she neared the elevator, just in case Sango was around. _'I don't want her to notice that I'm depressed...she has too many of her own problems.' _So with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, Kagome headed to the elevator, when someone grabbed her shoulder from behind.

Kagome just froze up, solid as a rock, while past memories that she had sealed away came flooding back to her, making the decorative hallway spin in front of her eyes. She felt like she was drowning in the suddenly heavy air. The sensation of her body going limp overwhelmed her, and she would have dropped to the ground if she hadn't steadied herself on her cart.

"Kagome, what's wrong?" Sango asked worriedly from behind Kagome, wrapping her hands around both her shoulders to keep her standing.

Kagome's mind instantly stopped torturing her with distant memories that could no longer hurt her. Sango's comforting voice had dissipated all the fear she had felt rising in her gut. She instantly thought up a lie that should be easily accepted by the worried girl.

"I'm fine Sango. I just felt sick for a moment. I think the problem is that I didn't eat enough today, that's all. That and you scared the hell out of me."

Sango laughed a little. "Always such a scaredy-cat. Well, lets go fix that hunger problem. Shall we?" A courteous smile brightened Sango's face as she held out her arm in a mock gentleman fashion.

"Sure, why not?" Kagome turned around for the first time since Sango started speaking. Kagome slipped her arm through Sango's and they started skipping down the hall towards the elevator.

As the elevator closed and started moving, a startled cry echoed in the narrow shaft.

"Oh no! We forgot about the carts!"

* * *

"May I take your order please?" the scantly dressed maitre'd asked politely.

"Uh...you go Kagome, I can't decide."

"Sure Sango, I'll take Veal Parmesan with the homemade spaghetti sauce please."

"Soup or salad?" the maitre'd whose nametag read 'Yura' asked with a bored expression.

"Salad please, with Italian dressing. Can you give me the onions on the side also?" Kagome asked, looking up at Yura questionably.

"Yeah, sure. Mashed or baked potato, cole slaw, pasta, or steamed vegetables?"

"I really don't want-"

"She'll take the steamed vegetables please," Sango hurriedly interjected.

"What's the deal Sango, I don't want any," Kagome asked, her eyebrows crinkled.

"If you don't want them, then I'll eat them. I'm not paying for appetizers when you don't even order any, Kag-chan."

"Oh...ok then," Kagome said slowly. "I guess that means you've decided to pay then."

"Yup, I got a raise, so I'll pay in celebration. Anyway, is it my turn yet?" Sango asked impatiently.

"Congrats. But why such a rush Sango?"

"I wanna order before I change my mind again."

"Oh, then go ahead, I'm done."

"Yes, what do you want tonight miss," Yura asked after rolling her eyes at the scene.

"I want the steamed salmon, the salad with French dressing, and steamed vegetables," Sango said nodding her head at the menu before looking up at Yura.

"Your order should be ready soon," Yura nodded sullenly and collected their menus.

"Are you going to be able to eat all of that Sango?"

"Probably not. I'll just take the rest home for Kohaku as his dinner before I have to walk him back for work."

"Oh ok," Kagome agreed as she took a sip from her hot chocolate.

Sango pulled her sweater closer around her as she shivered. "Why do they have the air-conditioning on in fall?"

Kagome switched her crossed legs as she answered, "Who knows. These places are weird like the people. You know somebody is going to say that they are still boiling even in this freezer they call a restaurant."

Sango giggled. "It's an American restaurant. Maybe the temperature is American too."

Kagome smiled and shrugged. Until the food came, the two girls settled into light conversation. When it finally did, they said "Itadakesumo!" at the same time, and ate quietly listening to the soft classical music the restaurant provided.

* * *

"Goodnight Sango!" Kagome waved as they parted ways outside the Shingetsu, both toting doggie-bags.

"Goodnight Kag-chan! See ya tomorrow!"

Kagome walked silently, just as she did earlier in the morning back to her little apartment. It only had one bedroom, a small bath, a mediocre kitchen, and an average size family/living room, but it was home.

Kagome dropped her purse and keys on the kitchen table absentmindedly as she sorted though her mail.

"Junk, junk, bill, junk, and more junk. Jeez, there's never anything good is there?" she said to herself.

"Meow."

"Hey Buyo, how ya doing boy?" Kagome bent down and asked the soft ball of fuzz that was her cat. "Sorry I'm late, I had dinner with Sango tonight. Hope you don't mind waiting another minute while I get your food."

She knew it was ridiculous talking to a cat. It's not like he actually understood what she said, but he was the only companionship she had in the forlorn apartment. The only other company she had was the creaking of the floorboards above her, and the distant sound of the trains' whistle. She had one window that overlooked Tokyo Tower, and when you timed it just right, you could see the sinking of the sun behind it. The orange ball was blocked from view, but the colors it produced surrounded the Tower and gave it almost a mystical quality. Sitting on her window seat when this happened was the one time Kagome truly did not mind being alone, though she would have preferred to share it with someone she loved.

She scooped the cat food out of the tin can and into Buyo's bowl for him to feast on. A loving glance was bestowed him as she headed toward her special place to see the sunset. She threw the window wide open, and shivered in the lingering coolness of the spring air, burrowing into her denim jacket. She sat on the small window seat, and stared at the wondrous shades of pink and rose, blue and turquoise, purple and mauve. She saw a sliver of Ama-Terasu's brilliance peaking out from the side of the Tower, but it only blended beautifully with the shades not even the best of painters could match. She sat there and just stared in a daze as the colors slowly deepened to a dark navy blue, and little bursts of light rapidly appeared on the horizon. She sat there still as the glowing orb Kaguya-hime made her home on rose as a silent declaration that night had begun. It was only now that Kagome slowly pushed herself up and closed the window halfway. She didn't know why, but the moonlight always helped to lull her into a peaceful sleep. So, she would keep the window open, and the moonlight would spill in in bundles, and she could finally sleep easy after so many months of tossing and turning in vain during the summer nights when the moon came out during the day and went to bed early.

She silently walked over to her closet and chose the same thing she wore every night- an old, worn-out cotton shirt that was several sizes too big for her. Then she flopped down onto her bed, and whispered to the pale moonlight seeping into her, settling neatly about her thin frame. "Home sweet home isn't it, Otou-san? Home sweet home indeed..."

And the wind seemed to answer her pain-laced plea with a whispered response; _"If only, if only things could be different."

* * *

_

Yeah, it's been revamped. Sort of anyway. Not much added, it was mostly grammar and phrasing fixed, but no matter.

**Translations**  
Sakura-cherry blossoms  
Shingetsu-new moon  
-chan- politeness term used between close friends  
Gomen- sorry  
Itadakesumo- roughly means "Have a good meal!" or "Let's chow down!" except not so informally. I believe it's spelled correctly, but if not, you can correct me  
Ama-Terasu- the Sun Goddess in Japanese mythology  
Kaguya-hime- the Moon Goddess in Japanese mythology. Means "moonlight princess"  
Otou-san- father 


	2. The Guests

**The Winds of Fate**  
By: Kagura-hime 

_Summery_: Kagome Higurashi is a chambermaid at the most prestigious hotel/casino in all of Japan. Sesshoumaru Takara is a wealthy businessman owning one of the largest technology companies in the world. What happens when fate unexpectedly throws them into each other's arms, and they are forced to depend upon one another if they wish to survive? S/K

_Disclaimer_: I don't own jack. I wish I did, but, hey, shit happens. Besides, do you really think that these characters would really let _me_ own them? Not bloody likely.

Aw hell, just go read.

_Recommended fics_: Marrying the Mafia by _Shichan2_, Being Me by _Samarah-chan_, The Bridepens by _Moonsilver_, and Crucify My Love by _Jo-chan_. I love all these fics, and I think you will too. So make sure to r&r!

**The Winds of Fate  
**_Chapter 1_: The Guests 

Kagome woke to the sound of the train speeding by behind her apartment. She couldn't have asked for better timing. The enchanting sound of the trains' whistle woke her every morning at 6:15, or bloody close to it anyway, and gave her enough time to get dressed, eat, and walk to work for 7:00.

She slowly crawled out of bed and dragged her ass to the kitchen to start up the coffee maker because _caffeine_ equals _friend_ when you have long hours to work and you have to get up early to start them. While it was happily grinding away at the coffee beans, she went to the bathroom, and splashed some cold water on her face, to wake herself up. Kagome leaned over the sink and looked at her sleep lined features in the mirror. _'Wow am _I_ a mess,'_ was the thought floating around her brain as she took in her tousled hair. After quickly grabbing the nearest brush, she ripped it through the rat's nests she called hair and pulled it back into a ponytail once it was tame. She completed some other business in there and came out just as the coffee machine had finished its task. She poured herself a steaming cup and went to sit on the small balcony outside her living room.

While she sipped the hot brew, she watched the traffic speed past and pedestrians stroll by, some leisurely, others pushing past with briefcases late for some meeting or another. When she was out of coffee, she popped some bread into the toaster and quickly got dressed in a light blue skirt and white blouse. On the way to the kitchen, she snatched her purse and house keys, grabbed the waiting toast, slipped her shoes on at the door, and locked said object. She was on her way to work after the same boring routine she used everyday. In everyone's opinion, meaning Sango and her little thirteen-year-old brother Kohaku, she needed something-or _someone_-to shake up her monotonous life. As they say-good things come to those who wait, and Gods know Kagome has been waiting a lifetime for something great to happen to her.

* * *

Kagome had just unlocked the door in front of her and opened it to go in and clean when the owner of the Shingetsu came strolling down the hallway toward her. It was very rare that anyone of a higher standing saw him, let alone a lowly chambermaid. And to top it all off, he came striding straight towards her, three important men in tow, with another three pushing luggage carts behind them. At a distance of course because why would upper-class men want to idly chit-chat with bell-boys?

"Naraku-sama, what a pleasant surprise!" Kagome pasted on her plastic smile and bowed when the man came close.

"Good afternoon Ms. Higurashi," he said in mock politeness.

The way he was leering at her gave Kagome the creeps, as did his general aura. And also the fact that he knew her name sent shivers up her spine. Most people didn't bother with her, she wasn't popular at all, and if she didn't have such a memorable face security would probably stop her from coming in the building. That's how little known she was. So why the hell would he know her name when no one else cared to? There was just something about this man that you _could not_ trust. She had noticed it the first time she had met him, when he had randomly popped into a group interview that his employee- manager Kagura was performing. She had happened to be in that group, and she didn't like him then either.

"Did you need something, sir?"

"Yes. These gentlemen will be staying in Penthouses A though C for a while. I ask you to see that they are taken care of, and have everything they need," Naraku replied, gesturing to the men standing behind him, who were all looking bored. One of them was just staring at her in a daze, completely oblivious to everything else. It also looked like he mouthed something, but Kagome couldn't tell what it was. A shiver went down her spine from his unwavering gaze, and she answered Naraku, ignoring the white haired man.

"But sir, Ayume and Yuki work the penthouses. They would probably do better than I could, so why me?" Kagome finally asked, puzzled.

Naraku sighed at having to delay his guests and answer to his employee to prove to them that he had manners, and explained. "Ayume is sick, and Yuki went on vacation. Since you are currently working the floors below them, I thought it would be appropriate for you to cover until one of them returns since we could only find one substitute. Now will it be too much for you to handle in addition to your regular duties? You will be compensated, of course, for the extra," he asked, getting impatient that his precious guests were mumbling to each other.

"No sir, it would be no trouble at all," Kagome replied, bowing low.

"Very good then. And shall I take you to your room now?" Naraku directed at the men, among one of which was glaring at him mercilessly. Of course it had to be the one who was staring at her earlier. Though he did get brownie points back if he hated Naraku, no matter the reason.

Kagome merely knit her eyebrows at his apparent hostility towards Naraku, vaguely wondering his particular reason, before bowing to the guests and Naraku seeing as how they were leaving. Naraku gracefully ignored the murderous look the guy was still sending to his back. As the other men nodded, and strolled away, the antagonistic one trailing along behind the other two, his arms crossed over his chest defiantly, not unlike that of a bratty six-year-old child that wasn't getting the ice cream he asked for. One of the other men, the only black-haired one, took a glance back at her. Kagome's right eyebrow started twitching when she realized he was giving her the once-over. _'Bloody pervert…'_

Kagome barely managed a polite smile without chucking cleaning supplies at the mans' handsome face. She just looked away and cooled off, since she figured that the man had to be important (and damn wealthy to afford to stay in this penthouse for any amount of time) and she wouldn't see him very often, if at all. She shrugged and had just started pushing her cart through the door, when Sango poked her head out from the room across the hall and interrupted her, raising a finely sculpted eyebrow at Kagomes annoyed look.

"What?" she asked when the group was definitely out of earshot.

"I heard every word. Congrads."

"Thanks…but I still don't know why he picked me. Or how he knew my name. I've only met him once, and that was three years ago. Kind of freaky if you know what I mean," Kagome said lowly, just in case anyone was around.

"Uhh…Kagome I hate to break this to you, but he _is_ the owner of this place. He can just pull the files of who works here, their general areas and set shifts, and their picture."

"Oh be quiet! I was going to think of that sooner or later. Anyway, do you have any idea who those guys were?" Kagome said, waving her hand at Sango in an offhanded way.

"Probably just some big business typhoons, that's all. We get tons of them. And did you see the look that one guy gave to Naraku? Priceless!" Sango giggled, Kagome joining in.

"I know! I wonder what's going on between them. Hey wait, how did you see it?" Kagome asked, suddenly thoughtful.

"I was just about to open the door and come out when I heard Naraku talking to you, so I spied through the door crack. I didn't see all of them because of where they were standing, but I saw that white haired guy and his unfriendly stare. Well, back on track, you'll have plenty of time to find out the full story since you'll probably be up there a lot. That's one thing about businessmen-they're almost all prissy bastards and need everything handed to them on a silver platter."

"Yeah I guess so…"

"And make sure you tell me all the juicy details," Sango was nudging Kagome's arm in a 'you-know-you-want-to' kind of way.

"Don't worry Sango, you won't miss a thing."

* * *

"Kagome-san! Hey wait a second! Come back here!"

"Hmm?" Kagome turned around puzzled when the sound of her name reached her ears.

"Kagome-san, could you take this up to Penthouse A for me? I have a ton of other orders, and Hojo is delivering some other things to help me out. I need to get this up there pronto, and I have no one else here to do it. I know that your shift is done and that you're a cleaning maid, but will you _please_ help me just this once?" The desperation in the hotel chefs voice, Nobanaga, was quite noticeable, and Kagome decided to help him out a little, since he was a good guy.

"You said it goes up to Penthouse A, right?"

"Yeah."

"I guess they're all in there together to work or something. Nobanaga, consider it done," Kagome said brightly, muttering the first part to herself.

"God I owe ya one Kagome-san." Nobunaga had a look of pure relief and gratitude on his features.

"You won't owe me anything if you don't start dropping the "san" off of my name. I've told you before, it's just plain Kagome. There's no need for honorifics with me." Kagome patted him on the back as she walked away.

Nobunaga smiled as he turned back to his stove. "Kagome…Yeah I like that better."

* * *

The elevator pinged and closed behind Kagome as she pushed the cart into the small entranceway of the penthouse. Kagome heard voices in the background, and she wasn't sure that they had heard her come up.

"Room ser-"

"Yeah we know you're here, so just bring the damn food in to us, will ya?"

Kagomes face turned stormy, and her eyes dark with anger. She rubbed the back of her neck where she suddenly felt tingly like when somebody was watching you. She pulled her hand away and decided to ignore it. _'Jeez! This guy could be a little nicer. What an ass!'_

But she quickly wiped her face clean of all emotions, but her eyes betrayed her calm and detached appearance. She took a deep breath, and entered the room where the voice came from.

Kagome saw that two of the men were sitting on the couch watching the giant plasma T.V, while the other one was sitting at a large kitchen table doing mountains of paperwork.

"Over here, wench," growled the one who was staring at her earlier.

Kagomes short temper only increased to dangerous levels as she wheeled the cart over behind the sofa.

"Which of these is yours sir?" Kagome asked through gritted teeth.

"The ramen."

'_I hope he chokes on it,'_ Kagome thought heatedly as she walked around the sofa with the dish, and placed it on the table before him along with some sauces.

"I wanted to eat in the kitchen you moron," he growled, glaring at her.

"Well I'm sorry I'm not a bloody psychic and couldn't read your mind! And besides, the table is kind of occupied right now, so I couldn't put the dish there anyway baka!"

As soon as she said it, Kagome slapped a hand over her mouth her eyes wide as her brain stumbled through all the possible outcomes of this disaster. The black haired pervert from earlier looked up at her in surprise, and the one sitting at the table twitched the corners of his mouth without missing a beat of writing on his paperwork, while the arrogant one just stared stupidly at her, a look of utter and complete confusion nestled onto his face.

The pervert, as Kagome had named him, sitting on the couch interjected when the gaping imbecile (as Kagome had named _this_ one) with white hair and…_dog?_ ears opened his big mouth to speak again.

"You'll have to excuse my friend here. He's not used to being talked back to by someone of lower status."

"Whatever the case may be, I should not have said that. Gomen-nasi," Kagome quickly apologized and bowed. Even though that last remark both wounded and infuriated her, if one of the men ratted her out, she would lose her job, especially since these were no ordinary guests. Naraku would have her head if she lost him these high-class, very high-paying customers.

"Feh. You should be wench. I won't tolerate you talking to me like that again. I'll let it go this time but there had better not be a next time or else I'll have your job," mutt-face said turning up his nose.

Kagome nodded her head in understanding. When he didn't complain about having his food in the kitchen again, Kagome turned to the other man, and asked, "And which of these is yours?"

"Just the steak sandwich, M'lady."

Kagome's jaw almost dropped at being called m'lady, _especially_ after this guy had basically implied that she was low-class trash, but she quickly caught it, and delivered the man his food.

As she turned to give the last man his miso soup and pot of green tea, something quickly grabbed her arm and held her in place. It slowly spun her around so that she didn't spill her cargo. The black haired man jumped over the back of the sofa, took the bowl and teapot, put it back down on her food cart, and grabbed both her hands in his.

"M'lady, may I inquire as to your name?" he said looking her right in the face.

"…Kagome," she responded slowly, not quite knowing his motive.

"Well Kagome, I would like to know if you would be willing bear me a son."

Kagomes mind blanked out for a moment. _'He..uh…son? What the hell!'_ Her internal drama was interrupted by the very ugly sounding crack of balled up knuckles hitting flesh.

The man at the kitchen table had moved with remarkable speed and left-hooked the black haired lecher, who was now spread over the sofa like some sort of twisted comforter, completely unmoving.

"Do not pay any heed to Miroku, for he asks anything wearing a skirt to bear his child." The man that said this was quite tall, at least a good 6"8', which towered over her 5"10' frame, and she got a good view of his calf length white hair when he turned away from her to say what he did. On his way back to the kitchen table he gracefully picked up his food, saving Kagome the trouble of trying to find a spot to put it.

"Umm…is he still alive?" She asked, slightly nudging his foot. _'Not that I'd mind if he _was_ dead,'_ she silently added.

"Don't worry, he receives this type of abuse on a daily basis. I am beginning to believe that he has built up an immunity to serious head trauma," her savior spoke after clearing a small spot for his dinner then sitting down to do more work.

"Uh…thank you sir for helping me there. I appreciate the gesture, even though I can take care of myself. Everything's ok though, I guess. No hard feelings," she said way too cheerfully.

"Yeah whatever you say bitch. Though I don't know why he would even bother with the scrawny likes of you anyway. Usually he goes for the more voluptuous women than any other. But getting off the topic of you, nice job Sesshoumaru. You just killed our CEO for the rest of the night. Way to go," the cocky-ass imbecile rolled his eyes.

Kagome wanted so badly to just imitate the only decent one of the bunch and punch his lights out. _'Maybe if I get lucky, that…was it Sesshoumaru? guy will knock him out too. Ah…I don't have enough good karma built up for something so great to happen.'_

"Silence Inuyasha. I've had enough of you too tonight. Now either do some work or shut your mouth," the man now branded as Sesshoumaru turned and glared forcefully at his target, sending shivers down Kagome's spine from the mere intensity. _'Jeez. I never want to piss _him_ off. He's not even glaring at me and I'm scared.'_

Kagome desired nothing more than to get the hell out of this loony bin. But she couldn't leave until she was dismissed but one of the two conscious occupants currently having a glaring contest, of which Sesshoumaru was winning by a landslide.

Kagome just stood there awkwardly and rubbed her still tingling neck until Inuyasha turned his nose up again and began slurping down his ramen noisily, glancing at her every now and then between mouthfuls.

Sesshoumaru went back to work, leaving Miroku sprawled out in what looked like an uncomfortable position on the couch. Kagome cleared her throat quietly after a minute, and Sesshoumaru looked up at her and raised an eyebrow.

"I thought that you would have left by now. Is there something else you need, or are you waiting for a tip?"

"Oh no sir. No tip. I just can't leave until you dismiss me. Hotel policy," she said with her head bowed.

"I see. Then you are dismissed."

"Arigato Sesshoumaru-sama. Oyasumi-nasi to both of you," Kagome said while bowing low. Then she grabbed the cart, and headed through the entranceway to the elevator. While she was waiting for it to arrive, Sesshoumaru suddenly appeared behind her so fast Kagome nearly had a heart attack.

She was clutching her heart as she turned around to face him. _'Jesus this guy is fast. There's no way he can be human…No definitely not with those eyes,'_ She thought after looking up and seeing two gorgeous amber eyes stare back into her currently navy blue ones.

"Did I startle you?"

Kagome nodded a few times, her heart rate finally returning to normal.

"Well then this should make up for it," he said while holding out a roll of bills to her.

Kagome took it with shaking hands, and realized that it contained many hundred-dollar bills. The elevator doors opened behind her as Kagome came to her senses and tried hastily to shove the bills back into the mans hand.

"I'm sorry but I can't accept this. It's way too much money for me to take. Save it for someone who actually does something to deserve it."

"Think of it as compensation for having to deal with my idiotic half-breed brother and lecherous CEO," he quickly reached forward around Kagome and held open the elevator doors, which had started to close.

"Don't think I didn't hear that Sesshoumaru," Inuyasha yelled from the next room. Sesshoumaru gracefully ignored him and cut Kagome off to continue speaking.

"All of us will be in a meeting tomorrow starting at 8 A.M. sharp, and it should last several hours. You may come in and do your job then."

"Yes sir. And I take it that I can say nothing to bring you back to your senses and keep your money in your pocket?" Kagome was slightly suspicious. Did this guy expect her to do more than clean his room? She had never received a tip even a quarter as big as this, even from the wealthy assholes that constantly came through the hotel.

Sesshoumaru gave a little 'hmph' of laughter. "I assure you that I am currently in a sane mindset even after having to deal with those two all day. Now tell me, will you not accept the money because you believe I have an ulterior motive?"

Kagome's eyes widened. _'How the hell did this guy get the nail smack-dab on the head? After I just thought it no less. Hey wait a sec…I've heard of demons who are so powerful they're telepathic. God dammit, he's been reading my mind all night! That's what the tingly feeling is or so I've read. I feel so violated now…'_

Sesshoumaru smirked a bit, showing off sharp fangs. "You are correct. I have been reading your thoughts all night to try and tell if you were sent to spy on my company for one of my competitors, or if you can be trusted. I knew no other way to get the information, so I monitored your thoughts. You have passed my test, and I believe you can be trusted."

Kagome blinked a few times, surprised at such a ready and honest explanation. Then she shrugged, "I actually don't even know what company your with in all honesty. But you couldn't have known that unless you dug through my mind. I understand why you did it, but can you please refrain from doing it all the time. It creeps me out that even my unspoken thoughts are public."

Sesshoumaru bowed his head. "Of course. There is no need to do it again unless I suspect something."

"Ok, well, I should be letting you get back to your work. And thank you very much." Kagome looked down at the money in her hand. "This is more than I make in a few weeks if I saw correctly."

"I assure you that you did. And also, just for your own awareness, I am staying in this Penthouse, Inuyasha in Penthouse B, and Miroku in Penthouse C. " he said, nodding his head slightly and gliding back into the next room.

Kagome stared down at the tip in her hand as she boarded the elevator and pressed the number 1 button, effectively shutting the doors.

"Why'd you go after her and give her that? You don't actually like her or anything, do you?" Inuyasha asked as soon as the elevator was gone.

"Of course not. I only feel sorry for the poor thing for having to put up with you two," Sesshoumaru said absently, going back to his paperwork.

"Feh." The T.V. channel was changed to some random action movie.

Miroku lay sprawled on the couch, his bruised skull guaranteeing him a full night's rest. Oddly enough, Sesshoumaru had hit him a bit harder than usual for some reason; though Inuyasha didn't realize it, and neither did Sesshoumaru himself.

* * *

_RIIIING _

'_Oh I hope she's still home,'_ Kagome thought impatiently as the phone rang its annoying chorus.

"Moshi moshi?"

"Oh thank heavens Sango! I have so much to tell you, can I come over?"

"Yeah sure, just come over for eight-ish, I should be back by then, and we'll have all night to talk."

"Ok. What kind?"

"The usual, what else?"

"I should've known."

"Ja Kag."

"Ja ne, Sango." _Click_. Kagome hung up the cell phone, and checked the clock.

_'7:27. I'll just make it if I leave now.'_ And with that thought in mind, Kagome left and began strolling down the ever-darkening streets.

* * *

Sango walked down the sidewalk and saw a figure sitting on the front steps to her row home. She smiled, knowing full well who it was, and called out to her.

"Hey Kagome!"

"Hey Sango."

"I really need to get you a key."

Kagome giggled, "Same here."

"So did you get it?" Sango asked, peering around Kagome.

Kagome sighed and pulled out a bag from behind her back.

"Yes! Chocolate Marshmallow; now that's the best ice cream ever made."

"Mm hmm," Kagome agreed as Sango unlocked the door, setting her baseball bat down to do so. Kagome looked down at the ice cream container in her hand. _'She loves this stuff. Knowing her she probably wouldn't have let me in if I hadn't bought it on the way over!'_

Kagome watched silently as Sango opened the front door and turned off the security system. She followed her in and went directly to the kitchen to grab some bowls and spoons.

"So what did you have to tell me?" Sango asked smiling when they were all nice and settled into comfy chairs in the living room.

"Well…it's about those guys in the penthouses…" She started vaguely, not wanting to give anything away.

"Yeah, go on," Sango said with her mouth full, nodding her head in the 'go-on' gesture.

"Well Nobanaga asked me to take up some food right, because he was shorthanded and I did. I got up there and the guy that pierced a hole through the back of Naraku's head earlier?" she paused here, and Sango nodded her head, showing that she remembered him. Then she continued. "He was being a total ass, and I snapped back at him…" she trailed off sheepishly.

"Bad girl. You know you could get fired for that right?" Sango asked nervously.

Kagome sighed, "Yeah I do. But I don't think they'll say anything. Not if Sesshoumaru has anything to say about it."

Sango started choking on her ice cream.

"What's wrong Sango?" Kagome asked, reaching over and patting her friends back.

"_Sesshoumaru_?" she croaked out hoarsely.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's what the gaping imbecile called him. Why?"

"Sesshoumaru Takara is the President and owner of Sakura Enterprises-a major technology company. His company probably made your cell phone. I know mine's one of his. Anyway, he's the third richest guy in the world, and is supposed to be extremely good-looking, and extremely available. Though that might be more because he's a youkai, and less that's he's gay or something. There have been rumors recently that he is because he hasn't hitched up yet. I'm not sure if that's true or not, or if the media is just trying to rile him up or what…" Sango trailed off thoughtfully.

"Jeez Sango! Ever think about writing a biography?" Kagome asked jokingly.

"Everyone knows that," Sango rolled her eyes.

"Well I didn't"

"Then you're just weird and need to get out more."

Kagome stuck her tongue out playfully and remarked, "Yeah, well him being youkai explains the killer speed and markings on his face. And his height. He's almost a foot taller than me! And the fact that he's a powerful psychic."

"Yeah, I've heard rumors he's psychic, but nobody ever knew if they were true or not. I guess they are…"

"Do you stalk him or something?"

"No…" Sango said with a shifty glance and an amused smile.

The girls laughed at that and then Kagome began to think seriously for a second.

"If you know so much about him, why didn't you say anything about it at the hotel?"

"Because I've never seen him before. So even if I had seen him through the crack, I wouldn't have known it was him unless someone called his name. Remember I said that I _heard_ he was good-looking? That's because he's very elusive to the press and whatnot, so not many people know what he really looks like," Sango explained, and Kagome let out a little "oh" of understanding.

"Well, to confirm the rumors, he _is_ very attractive. Possibly the best looking guy I've ever seen." Sango grinned and let out a little "yes" of happiness. "Wait, he called the white haired guy with dog ears his 'half-breed brother' when I was in there. That means that Inuyasha is a hanyou, right?"

"Duh. I don't know why Sesshoumaru made him his Vice President. Inuyasha's kind of an idiot from what I hear. Well, not an idiot, because I've heard he's very smart, but he's just not very interested in the company. He's not worried about stock earnings and profit at all. And his CEO is reputed to be a huge lecher, asking women to bear his child or something," Sango said, a look of disgust planted firmly in her features.

"Oh he is, trust me."

"What?" Sango's left eyebrow started twitching.

Kagome sighed and continued. "After I snapped at Inuyasha, Miroku, I think his name was, said something like 'Excuse him, he's not used to being talked back to by someone of low status' or some bull like that. I gave him his food, and when I began walking away he grabbed my hands, asked for my name, and then asked if I would like to bear his son! And he was dead serious about it too!"

"He'd better hope he doesn't ask me, because I would pound his face in…" The tick in Sango's eyebrow only got worse, and Kagome was worried she would pop a blood vessel soon and tried to calm her down.

"Sesshoumaru saved me the trouble of hitting him. As soon as he said it, Sesshoumaru by my side, and he punched Miroku right in the temple! It's a miracle his skull didn't cave in!"

"He's probably used to that kind of abuse if that's all he goes around saying," Sango had cooled off a bit and cheered up when she heard that Kagome had been avenged.

"Sesshoumaru said later that he was hit on a daily basis, and that he 'believed he was becoming immune to major head trauma.' Or at least that's pretty close to what he said. He was very articulate with his words and phrasing. But anyway, after the sudden display of kung fu, Sesshoumaru took his own food, sat back down, and continued his work like this was normal for him. A minute later after all the chit-chat had died down, I had to clear my throat for them to realize that I was still there-"

"Oh they knew," Sango interrupted. "Youkai have exceptionally good senses. Better than the animals that they come from."

"Huh?"

Sango sighed and explained it nice and simple to poor confused Kagome. "Youkai are "demons," right? Well that's because their ancestry is different than ours. We evolved from apes, while they evolved from other animals. Sesshoumaru is an inuyoukai, meaning his ancestors are dogs. And from what I hear, all his ancestors are full-blooded dog demons, so he's one of the very few purebloods left of his race. Moving on, his senses are better than that of an ordinary dog. _Much_ better. You see demons have evolved a form of sorcery, where they can take human form and blend in more easily. Sesshoumaru's true form is most likely that of a giant dog of some sort. And if you go by his hair color, that's most likely what color his fur would be. With me so far?" Sango asked, hoping to god Kagome said yes. She nodded and Sango continued, smiling.

"Youkai live far longer than humans. Their looks can be quite deceiving, since Sesshoumaru is only supposed to be about 27. I'm sure he's actually hundreds of years old, just no one knows for sure how many exactly because he's never told anyone. And since he's single, I think he's a virgin," Sango said, starting to laugh a little.

Kagome's jaw hit the floor. Then, holding back girlish giggles, she asked, "How on gods green earth would you know that!"

"Simple. Dog demons mate for life. So unless a mate dies, they can't break the bond that they share. Now I don't know about his past, except that from what I've read, but he doesn't seem the type to fall in love and just be the mushy romantic everybody wants. That's how his half brother Inuyasha came to be. One of his parents must have died, and taken another mate. Most likely Sesshoumaru's mother is the one that died, since most demon women don't take human mates. That's more of a guy thing, if you know what I mean."

"I do. I have some questions though," Kagome said, completely interested now in the background of youkai.

"Shoot."

"Well, for starters, what if they do take a human mate? Wouldn't they die long before the demon?"

"Most would. But there is a way that humans can share a youkai's life span." At Kagome's questioning look, Sango elaborated a bit.

"If the human has strong spiritual powers, such as a houshi, miko, or someone else who learned to tap into their spiritual powers, they can bind themselves to the youkai when they mate and share their lifespan."

"Oh, I get it now. I have one more question."

"Yeah?"

"How do you know all this Sango?"

"The internet. You should really get a connection, you're missing out on a lot."

Kagome fell flat on her face out of the chair, and Sango laughed her ass off at Kagome's shocked look.

"Get up, I'm just kidding. Kohaku and I come from a long line of taijiya. My father told me all of this, and a lot more as well."

"Well that explains a lot. And also, I never thought much of it, but I supposedly come from a long line of miko's. Whether that's true or not, I couldn't tell you, but now…I don't know. I never bothered much with it before."

"I don't doubt it Kagome. Now, finish telling me about what happened, since we got so sidetracked."

"Oh yeah, where was I? Oh, I remember now! I told Sesshoumaru that I couldn't leave until I was dismissed, so he dismissed me, and while I was waiting for the elevator, he gave me this," Kagome handed Sango a wad of bills from her pocket.

"He said to think of it as compensation for having to deal with Inuyasha and Miroku." Sango stared at it in shock, her mouth moving but no sound was coming out, and Kagome waited for her to say something.

"It's so much money though…"

"I know. I tried to give it back to him a few times, but he refused. I want you to have it Sango, you need it more than I do."

"What! You're kidding me. I couldn't take this! There's got to be at least a thousand dollars here! I-" Kagome cut her off.

"I want you to have it. You have a little brother to take care, and a higher rent than I do. Think of it as your Christmas gift for the next ten years."

Sango stared at her in amazement as Kagome told her that she wouldn't take no for an answer. Then Sango proceeded to jump on Kagome and threatened to suffocate her in a bear hug.

"Thank you so much Kagome-chan! This means so much to me! I really need the money to make sure Kohaku is taken care of. Don't worry Kag; I won't waste a cent of it," Sango said, tears running down her face.

"Don't worry about it Sango. That's what friends are for right?"

* * *

Woot, I revamped this and added a lot of dialogue and some little details I was too stupid to think of last time. I hope you enjoy, and are less annoyed by my suck-ass writing style this time around.

Also, all the money I'm talking about is in US dollars. I don't know Yen or the exchange rate, so I'm making my life easier. If you know the exchange, then you can convert it for yourself. But the majority of readers understand US dollars and so it will stay that way.

**Translations**  
_-sama_- An honorific term used for people of a higher status  
_Ramen_-Japanese noodles  
_Gomen-nasi_- I'm very sorry  
_Arigato_-Thank you  
_Oyasumi-nasi_- Good night  
_Moshi moshi_-Hello. Only used when speaking on the phone  
_Ja _or_ Ja ne_-See you later. Usually used only when you will be seeing the person later in the day  
_Sakura_-cherry blossom  
_Youkai_-Demon  
_Hanyou_-Half demon  
_Inuyoukai_-Dog Demon  
_Houshi_-Low ranking Buddhist monk  
_Miko_-Priestess  
_Taijiya_-demon slayer  
_-chan_- A term usually used between girls and to someone younger 

Always- Kagura-hime


	3. The Test

The Winds of Fate  
By: Kagura-hime (soon to be Cognoscente!) 

_Summery_: Kagome Higurashi is a chambermaid at the most prestigious hotel/casino in all of Japan. Sesshoumaru Takara is a wealthy businessman owning one of the largest technology companies in the world. What happens when fate unexpectedly throws them into each other's arms, and they are forced to depend upon one another if they wish to survive? S/K

_Disclaimer_: I own this plotline. All the characters, except random ones I may make up later on, belong to a rich bitch in Japan, so don't sue me. My bank account isn't a pretty sight to begin with, and you don't need to make it completely barren.

Woot! I finally got inspired to finish this chapter! It's damn skippy, I know.  
Just to let you know, I'll probably be changing my penname to Cognoscente (my name on pretty much EVERY site) soon, since I don't like Kagura-hime anymore. Just thought I'd impart that knowledge to ya ;)

_Recommended fics_: I haven't read fanfiction in so long…I'll get back to you on that one.

**The Winds of Fate  
**_Chapter 2_: The Test 

"Ok, well here it goes," Kagome muttered to herself and squared her shoulders. She walked out of the elevator into the penthouse. She took a quick sweep of the rooms, sat down on the couch, and put chin in her hands.

"This place is spotless. What does he expect me to do in here if it's already _clean_? Maybe that other chick Naraku said they had was already in here. That has to be it. No straight man is this clean, _especially_ in a hotel room where there are people paid to pick up after them."

'He's… extremely available. Though that might be more because he's a youkai, and less that's he's gay or something. There have been rumors recently that he is because he hasn't hitched up yet. I'm not sure if that's true or not, or if the media is just trying to rile him up or what…'

Sango's words from last night popped up in her head. "Maybe she's right. I mean, the only things I have to do are make the bed and check the mini-bar to make sure it's full. I should probably dust too just to give myself something to do since I'm scheduled and being paid for an extra hour per room."

So Kagome took as long as possible to make the bed, making sure to get out every crease. She managed to drag it out to 15 minutes. She checked the bar-everything was still there. So, bored, she cleaned the TV screen, dusted all the furniture, fluffed all the pillows, sanitized all the eating tables, polished all the wood furniture, and even vacuumed all the carpet and mopped the kitchen floor. The dishes from last nights dinner and this mornings breakfast were resting in the sink, soapy water still in them. She quickly washed and dried them before putting them into the cabinet. She was down to her last five minutes for this room, so she decided to put away a toaster that was on the counter into the appliance garage before leaving. She picked it up and noticed a note and envelope stuck to the bottom of it. She remembered his little spiel about trusting her to not steal company secrets, and wondered if this was something he was trying to hide. She quickly decided that he would find a better place than under a toaster and pulled it off. If it was something confidential, she would write him a note and tell him what happened so he knew it wasn't on purpose and that she didn't steal anything. Because why would she tell him if she stole something?

She was surprised when the envelope had her name on it. She quickly tore it open, and saw two things-one, a handwritten note, and two, $500 cash. She pulled the cash out and stared at it. "Jesus…this guy has no qualms about giving away money does he?"

She stuffed the money back in the envelope and opened up the note. It had his letterhead in the top right-hand corner, and the handwriting was absolutely beautiful. There was no doubt in Kagome's mind that Sesshoumaru had written this-only a man with as much grace as Sesshoumaru could write with this elegantly. Kagome's suspicions that he was gay were raised further. She didn't even think of the possibility that he had natural grace because he was a demon, and that he had a steady hand and centuries of practice to get a style he liked.

But moving on, Kagome quickly scanned the note and laughed in a stunned way. "I don't believe this guy one bit…"

'_Kagome-_

_If you were thorough enough in your cleaning to discover this, then you deserve the pocket change I'm including. For the duration of my stay, I will do this sort of thing because I appreciate when people help me out, even in small ways. I know you already get paid and that you are not doing this out of the generosity of your heart, but from your reaction last night, it seems as though you may need some extra money. I thoroughly enjoyed both your verbal and nonverbal remarks and hope that you continue to have a personality when you are around me._

_-Sesshoumaru Takara_

_PS- If I find the money still in the open envelope, I will consider it an insult, and I will find a way to get it to you.'_

"What is this guy, psycho? Why's he always trying to push money on me? He's probably trying to get me to sleep with him! No wait…dog demons mate for life. And he's possibly gay. So what could it be? Does he intend to blackmail me? But why me? What could I give him? Gah! This is just giving me more questions instead of less. I need to talk to Sango. This man is going to drive me to drink!" Kagome slapped a hand to her forehead. Then she got an idea. She grabbed a pen she kept in her apron and jotted down a note on the back of his, crossed out her name on the envelope, wrote his instead, and put it in the same place he had it.

"There," she smiled, clapping her hands. "Now onto the idiots room. This is not going to be pretty. He's probably going to be a total slob…I should have skipped out of here early and got my butt over there. I probably could have used the extra time!"

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"Oh…my…god," Kagome's jaw dropped when she walked into Penthouse B. "It's…it's relatively _clean_. There is something seriously wrong with this picture. I expected a mess, though I'm not complaining or anything, knock on wood," she added, knocking on the doorframe.

All she had to do here was pick up some candy wrappers, vacuum up some crumbs, make the bed, wash and dry a few dishes, and she mopped the floor for good measure. She still had a good half-hour, so she did what she did in Sesshoumaru's room-dusted and polished furniture, wiped down the TV screen, fluffed a few pillows, and completely sanitized all the kitchen counters.

As she was waiting for the elevator, she noticed a fifty dollar bill sitting on one of the entranceway corner tables with a strip of white paper wrapped around it saying "Kagome's tip." She picked it up and read the back.

'This is the normal tip someone of your status should be getting, not the thousands of dollars my blockhead brother gave you. Don't get too used to those kind of tips because you'll be sadly disappointed after he leaves and you go back to getting ten or twenty bucks if that.'

"Why that little…gods he is such a bastard! I didn't even keep the thousand bucks, though he wouldn't know that. Well, I'm going to be cutting my own nose off to spite my face, but this might get his attention." She took out her wallet and removed two twenties and took the fifty, scribbling a note on the paper. This one was a bit more formal than the one she wrote to Sesshoumaru, but the undertones were still obvious.

'_Inuyasha-sama-_

_Since you seem to believe that I am money crazy and would like nothing more than to stick my hand in your bank account, I hope that this will show you how wrong you are. I'm only taking the ten-dollar tip I 'should be getting for someone of my status.' Keep your money next time: I don't want it._

_Sincerely-_

Kagome Higurashi' 

"Wow, I'm writing a lot of notes to these boys aren't I? Jeez, it never ends with these two. One's trying to buy me out, the other insult me to death. Oh Kami, what's next?"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"This is more of what I had expected from Inuyasha…"

Miroku's room had all kinds of clothes on the floor; silk shirts, ties, suit jackets and pants, shoes, socks…underwear. Everything under the sun was there. She checked the bedroom, and sure enough the bed wasn't stripped down. "They must have just dropped him on the bed last night and he woke up late or something. Well, I have no idea what's dirty and what's clean, so I'll just fold everything up nicely and leave a note asking him what he normally does with his laundry because sometimes the rich people have it sent out and sometimes they want to use the hotels laundry. He didn't specify with the desk clerk, so I'll have to ask one way or another." Kagome sighed, "Ohh…men."

She folded everything neatly and left it on the coffee table with a note explaining what she just said aloud to herself and also including a little something about not wanting to send something to the laundry because she didn't know if he would need it. Then she picked up/cleaned up a bit, finding a twenty dollar bill on the kitchen counter with the words 'The lovely Kagome's tip' written along the top of the bill in a hasty scrawl. She laughed and pocketed it, hoping that he was just joking around and wasn't serious about it. She then straightened out the bed, and did basically the same thing she had done in the other two rooms. She left after about 50 minutes to go downstairs and meet up with Sango before she had to do her usual routine.

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"Oh Miroku…"

Miroku quirked an eyebrow at the girl lying seductively on his couch, dressed in a French maids outfit. A _naughty_ French maids outfit.

"Well isn't this a surprise Kagome? I had never pegged you as the kinky type," he smiled while walking slowly towards her, taking off his tie before unbuttoning his shirt.

"Hey now Miroku. Stop that," she said, getting up and lightly knocking his hands away from his shirt.

"Now why should I?"

"Because I want to do it myself," she said, smiling as seductively as she could, and proceeded to unbutton his shirt with her teeth.

When she got to his pants she undid his belt and was unzipping his pants with one hand and running her other across his chiseled chest, him looking straight down and at the substantial amount of cleavage she was stacking-

DING 

The elevator bell rang and knocked Miroku from his little fantasy. He sighed and walked into his empty hotel room, disappointed but not surprised to find the couch devoid of a sexy Kagome dressed up and ready to 'play.'

"Now if only one of my dreams would come true after a long day of boring meetings, I would be a happy man. Scratch that. A _very_ happy man."

He looked over on the coffee table after plopping down on the couch and saw his clothes all stacked up and read the note lying on top of them. He smiled and grabbed a pen from his pocket and wrote a response basically saying that he was having his laundry sent out with Sesshoumaru's and Inuyasha's and not to worry about it. That it would be ok if she just put them in a laundry bag he would take care of the rest. He also apologized for the mess and told her that from now on, the things on the floor would only be dirty, and if they weren't and he needed them, then it would be his own fault.

"Hmm…I wonder what she'll say when she reads this…" He thought aloud before turning on the freshly cleaned TV and watched a baseball game.

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"I swear, if I ever have to go to another meeting as long and boring as that I'm going to quit," Inuyasha murmured to himself as he dropped his tie and jacket on the couch.

He looked around and saw how clean everything was, and was surprised to say the least. "Even after all the shit I gave her, she still did a good job cleaning this place up. She's either more forgiving than I thought, or she just did it because it's her job and she didn't want me to be an ass and get her fired. I'll have to ask Miroku how good she cleaned his room and see if it's just mine or if this is her usual work."

He was about to grab a snack from the fridge along with a nice cold beer when he remembered something. "I wonder if she saw the tip…"

He walked to the entryway, saw money there, and went to pocket it when he felt _two_ bills instead of one. "What the hell…"

He read the note she had written and laughed. "She's got balls this one. I think she deserves a bit more respect after this. Or maybe not. I want to see what else she does."

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Sesshoumaru placed his briefcase on his bed, taking off the fake glasses he wore in public to throw people off and putting them neatly away. He noticed that everything looked spotless, just the way he liked it. He decided to check under the toaster to see how she did on his test.

He got there, and noticed the toaster exactly where he left it. "Hn…she failed. How disappointing. Wait…" he took a whiff and smelled unsealed envelope glue and ink that was too fresh to be his. He lifted the toaster and found the open envelope still filled with money. He pulled out the note and saw that she had written a response on the back, making him smile as he progressed through it.

'_Takara-sama-_

_I am sorry if this insults you, but I cannot continue to accept such large sums of money from you. I know that you're very wealthy and this is only a little bit of cash to you, but it's a very large sum for me, and I can't help but feel indebted to you for the money that you've already given me, let alone another five hundred dollars. So thank you for the very generous offer, but I'm going to have to decline anything larger than a twenty, if you insist that I must have a tip. Have a pleasant evening, or day if you receive this early, and I will be back at the same time tomorrow to do my job._

_-Kagome Higurashi'_

"Hmm…she's done her homework about me. And passed the test," Sesshoumaru smirked and pocketed the money, and idea forming in his mind.

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Sango was gazing comfortably out of Kagome's favorite window at the sunset the latter girl has watched for years. She was leaning her head back against the wall and smiling softly.

"It's beautiful Kagome. Now I know why you like to be home for sunset."

"Yeah, it's a really awesome thing to see. It brings me some comfort."

Sango paused for a moment. "What happened to you that you're depressed a lot?"

Kagome looked over at Sango startled that she had noticed it after all her careful concealing tactics. "Well…it all started three and a half years ago. I used to have a brother. He would be about Kohaku's age now. His fourteenth birthday would be in three weeks. He…he was killed along with my parents and grandfather when someone broke into the house and murdered them when they woke up and caught him. I was staying over a friend's house that night for her birthday. I wasn't there to save them. It's my fault they died…" Kagome started crying and Sango quickly wrapped her in an embrace.

She rocked the sobbing Kagome, played with her hair, and whispered words of comfort into her ear until she calmed down.

Kagome looked up into Sango's deep brown eyes and saw them close, though she never expected to feel two rose petal lips gently pressing against hers. She was so shocked she didn't even pull away or lean into it. She just froze, and waited for Sango to pull away.

"Did it really shock you that much, or repulse you that much?" Sango asked sheepishly, not looking at Kagome.

"It was the first one. Sango, you're a lesbian?"

"No," she looked up quickly. "I don't know. I wasn't, I never even thought about it until I met you. I thought I was completely straight. There's just something about you I like; that I'm attracted to. You're the only chick; otherwise I would have thought I was bi. I still like guys-I prefer them actually. I don't know. It's just one of those things. I guess as childish as it sounds, I have a crush on you."

"Wow…I never would have guessed. But actually, I'm flattered. Thank you. I'm not bi or a lesbian though, and I'm sorry but I don't like you in that way. Though you would make a great girlfriend!"

They both giggled and Sango sighed. "I knew you wouldn't accept, but I had to try. Know for sure and all that jazz."

Kagome smiled and rested her hand on top of Sangos. "Still friends right?"

"Definitely. Though are you sure you don't want to give it a try. Just to make sure?" Sango grinned jokingly.

Kagome covered her mouth with her hand and giggled girlishly. "Well, yanno, life in the romance department hasn't been too good lately. Actually, it's been pretty damn barren. Maybe I do need a change of pace. Alright, I'll give it a whirl. But I don't know how this is gonna turn out. Most likely a reminder of how straight I am. I don't want to hurt you, so maybe this isn't such a good idea…"

"The hell it isn't. I know it probably won't float your boat, and that I'll get dumped in the end, but I'm willing to try it," Sango said, smiling giddily.

"I haven't had a boyfriend or even a date in months. I didn't think anybody would be interested in someone like me." Kagome sadly look out the window, remembering the other half of her story that Sango still didn't know.

Sango's face broke out into a wide smile. "What about Sesshoumaru?"

Kagome looked up startled. "_What!?_ What about him?"

"Maybe he's interested in you. Now don't give me that look and listen. He did give you all that money last night. Most rich assholes are so cheap they leave a twenty every few days. This guy gave you $1200, I counted it after you left, for bringing food to his room _once_. _And_ he chased after you to give it to you. I mean, there has to be something going on there right?"

Kagome looked at Sango's expectant face and laughed. Sango crinkled her eyebrows together in confusion. "What is it? What'd I say?"

"Well, it's only that he left a $500 tip today for me."

Sango's face had never looked more comical than it did in this instant. Her eyes were so big Kagome thought they would pop out of their sockets, and her jaw was so wide it could have housed a small bird. Once she had recovered she inquired, "Well, where is it? Didn't you take it?"

"No. This time, he wasn't there so I didn't have to take it. It just feels so weird accepting it-like he's going to want compensation for it. I dunno, it's just this paranoid feeling that I have. I just don't want anything to do with it."

Sango nodded. "I understand completely. I would probably do the same thing in your situation," Sango paused for a moment. "Do you…do you want the money back you gave me?"

Kagome smiled at her. "Not at all. It's your money now. You need it more than him anyway. But even if I did want to give it back, I doubt he'd accept it."

"Point. And thanks again Kagome. I'm using about two or three hundred to buy Kohaku good new clothes, not Good Will stuff. I know he's into comics and books, so I'll get him a few of them because I didn't always have the extra to buy him too many before. And the rest is going in his savings account for college. There's not much in there yet, but I still have a few years to save up and this will help boost it up there a bit."

"I'm really glad that it's helping him so much, but you need to help yourself a little too! Get a few new outfits, get your hair done, something! You deserve a little boost too," Kagome's head suddenly filled with ideas.

"I don't know Kagome…"

"Well, now you do. Tomorrow's Friday, which means our day off follows. How about we just spend the whole day at the mall. We don't have to spend a lot of money, but it'll be a sort of date for us." Kagome knew the last part would make up Sango's mind. She didn't like using this excuse to suck her in, but Sango really needed to get out more and think of herself for once!

Sango smiled shyly. "Really? You would want to go out in public with me as a girlfriend?"

"Of course! Why wouldn't I? I'm not ashamed. Screw old fashioned people and their ideas on homosexuality!"

Sango burst out laughing. "That would be really touching if you were in fact homosexual."

"Oh quiet you. I've always been for the gay movement-it's your choice if you want to be with a man or a woman. Well, maybe it's your body's choice, but you still shouldn't be ridiculed for being happy just because it's with someone of the same sex."

"Ok, how about this be the deciding date. If you don't feel comfortable as my girlfriend, and feel more comfortable just being very close friends, then you be sure to say so. No hard feelings on my part."

"Are you sure?" Kagome chewed her lip. "I don't want to lose you as a friend over this."

"You won't. Cross my heart."

"Ok then. It's a deal."

Sango let out a giddy laugh and tackled Kagome, intent on tickling the girl to death. Kagome let a high pitched squeal pass her lips as she tried to defend herself and crawl away, which proved impossible since Sango had her arms wrapped around Kagomes waist now.

Kagome stopped struggling after Sango stopped torturing her and just held her. It felt good to be in the embrace of someone who cared, even though she was a chick. Kagome was just starting to lean back into her and relax when a knock sounded at the door.

"Dammit, probably one of my neighbors coming over to complain about the noise. See what you caused already?" Kagome wagged a finger over her shoulder at Sango. Said girl merely shrugged her shoulders with an innocent grin.

As the knock sounded again, Sango reluctantly let go and sat on the couch, flipping the TV on as Kagome walked over to the door, prepping herself for old Mrs. Watanabi who lived next door.

As she swung the door open, the person she least expected to see was standing there. Kagome, first off being only in an oversized T-shirt, and secondly having absolutely no idea what to do slammed the door right in her visitors face and ran over to the couch where Sango looked at her quizzically. "What is it? A Jehovah Witness?"

"No," Kagome whispered furiously as the knock came again, "It's Sesshoumaru Takara!"

"What?! Oh my god! What the hell did you slam the door for then?"

"Are you kidding me? I'm not even dressed!"

"Fine, I'll answer the damn door."

And even though Kagome clung to Sango's shirtsleeve trying to stop her, Sango wasn't deterred in the least and marched right over to the door, flinging it open. And there, seeming so out of place in the middle-class hallway was Sesshoumaru Takara in dress black pants and a navy blue button-down silk shirt. His hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail and his fake glasses adorned his face. In short, he looked absolutely gorgeous.

Sango quickly dropped the drooling expression and settled for one of pleasant neutrality, ignoring the tingling feeling at the base of her neck. "Well hello. My name is Sango and I'm a very good friend of Kagomes. I assume you were looking for her?"

He nodded in response. "Yes I was. Am. We have business we must discuss." He paused for a moment before seeming to remember something. "How rude of me, I never gave you my name. I am Sesshoumaru Takara," he held out his hand that Sango easily took.

'Nice recovery Sango,' was Kagome's thought as she hid her half nude form behind Sango's fully clothed one. She poked her head out a little bit to inject, "Um…hi Takara-sama. What brings you to this neck of the woods?" 

He bent to look around Sango to Kagome, which only made her hide even more. He chuckled. "Now why are you hiding from me?"

Kagome's cheeks turned beet red as she muttered unintelligibly. Sesshoumaru grinned a bit and said, "I may speak many tongues, but gibberish is not one of them."

That further inflamed Kagome's cheeks, which before then had seemed utterly impossible. "I said that I am half-naked and only have this shirt on."

"Nothing I haven't seen before, so there is no problem on my end."

During all this Sango had just looked back and forth between the two, enjoying seeing her girlfriend embarrassed by something so simple. _'She really was telling the truth when she said she was prudish.'_

His last comment seemed to knock Kagome out of her bumbling schoolgirl routine. "Well guess what, there's a problem on my end. There is no way in hell you're coming in until I get some clothes on and that's final. If you don't agree with that, then you can leave right now!"

'_You go girl,'_ Sango thought with renewed admiration for the now furious girl.

Sesshoumaru quirked an eyebrow. "There is no need to get angry, I was merely stating that I would be comfortable with it if you were. It's obviously not, so I will wait for you to get dressed."

Kagome sagged a bit, all the wind previously in her sails gone. "O…k. When I get into my bedroom Sango can let you into the living room and get you a drink if you want one. Just hang on a minute." Sesshoumaru nodded as she closed the door.

"Get moving girly, we don't have all night," Sango grinned, pretending to kick Kagome in the ass to get her to walk faster.

"Yes ma'am," Kagome smiled back and jogged into her room. "Ok!" She called once the door was closed and locked.

Sango opened the door and gestured for Sesshoumaru to come in. He nodded and entered, taking his expensive dress shoes off before stepping into the living room.

"Can I get you something to eat? Drink?"

Sesshoumaru turned towards the sound of Sango's voice, which came from the kitchen.

He turned and started walking towards her as he answered, "What did you have in mind Sango?"

Sango blushed slightly at his usage of her name. _'God, I'm acting like such a schoolgirl. Plus I have a girlfriend. I really need to get my mind off the market.'_

"Well, as for food, we have some dinner leftovers that we made. It's a Tex-Mex dish. You might have had it before; it's very popular. Tacos?"

Sesshoumaru laughed to himself quietly. "Yes, I had them while I was vacationing in America a few years ago. If memory serves, then I did like them. A bit messy, but good nonetheless."

Sango smiled and nodded her head. "Well that's good. Kagome and I decided to try them out and see if we liked them. Do you want me to make one up for you?"

"If it's no trouble for you, then yes I believe I'll have one."

"One taco, coming right up."

Sango grabbed the package of extra-large hard-shell tacos and popped one in the microwave to heat up. She walked over to the fridge and opened it, debating on what to get out. "What do you want on it?"

He walked over to the fridge and stood behind her, scanning the shelves. "I'll have some lettuce, tomato, and some of the spicy Ortega sauce." Sango jumped and hit her head on the fridge when he started talking. How the hell could he be so quiet?!

"Damn, don't do that to a girl!"

"My apologies, I didn't mean to startle you."

"Sure…" Sango muttered under her breath, forgetting that he could hear her.

Sesshoumaru ignored the comment and took the taco shell out of the microwave, taking the extras Sango had put on the counter and putting them in the taco after filling it with meat from the stovetop.

"I could have done that. You _are_ the guest yanno."

"Yes, but all the same, it is no trouble."

Sango nodded and they sat down at the kitchen counter, waiting for Kagome to come back in silence. As he ate his taco, Sango observed him out of the corner of her eye. _'Damn, Kagome _was_ right about him-he's absolutely gorgeous! Not to mention articulate. Makes me feel like language wasn't my best subject in high school.'_

Sesshoumaru chuckled internally at her thoughts. _'So they think I'm attractive _and _articulate? What a surprise.'_

Kagome appeared when Sesshoumaru was halfway done his taco in a pair of tight jeans and plain gray T-shirt. She blinked a few times when she saw him eating, but shrugged it off and sat next to Sango, who was opposite the magnate.

"So, uh, I hope everything is ok here," Kagome said meekly in an attempt to break the silence.

"No bloodshed, death, or amputation of limbs so far," Sango replied grinning.

Kagome smiled back. "Well, I'm glad you two are getting along."

Sesshoumaru swallowed and responded, "Sango has been a most pleasant hostess."

Sango flushed a bit. "All I did was get you food that you assembled…" she muttered.

Kagome laughed and waited until Sesshoumaru had finished and washed his hands at the sink before getting down to business. "So to return to my earlier question, why are you here?"

Sesshoumaru looked at her a moment, picking his words carefully. "I received the note you wrote me today. I can understand your skepticism about my motives, but I assure you, I am an honest man who never goes back on his word. I told you that I had no hidden motives the day we met, and this still rings true. This is the kind of tip I leave most people. You see, unlike other business practitioners, I believe in helping out those less fortunate than I am. I give large sums of money to charity and the poor in an effort to use money to help, not manipulate. I thought nothing of it by giving you that money, and I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong impression."

Kagome and Sango both blinked a few times, the former having no idea of what to say, and the latter completely in shock that a guy who she heard called "an arrogant asshole with no heart or feelings" was so generous.

"Well, you didn't have to come all the way over here just to say that, but thank you anyway. Wait, speaking of which, how do you know where I live?"

"You left your full name on the note. Contrary to popular belief, I can pick up a phonebook and look up a listing."

Kagome flushed at his cocky little grin. "I was going to think of that sooner or later. But moving on, is there anything else you would like? A drink maybe?"

"No, I'm fine thank you."

Kagome nodded and he stood up. "I should be going. I have imposed on you long enough, and I also have work waiting for me at the hotel. If you'll excuse me," he bowed to the ladies who were standing as he spoke. They bowed back and walked him to the door where he put his shoes on.

"It was nice meeting you Sango."

"Likewise," said girl nodded.

"Safe journey back to the hotel Takara-sama," Kagome bowed slightly, completely in hostess mode.

"Call me Sesshoumaru, I'm not much one for formalities. Oyasumi-nasi to both of you."

"Oyasumi-nasi," Kagome and Sango both spoke at once, then looked at each other saying "Jinx!" They laughed at their childish behavior and closed the door behind their unexpected guest.

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Wow…that was utterly horrible. I can't believe I'm posting such crude, but there ya go. I just have to get back into the swing of things I guess…..as for translations, just check the previous chapters. If it isn't there, then just ask me what something means and I'll tell you. Whelp, I'm off to do my psychology, night y'all.

Ja ne.

3


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